- Date
- July 12, 1982, 15:29 local (19:29 UTC)
- Place
- Saginaw, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6444KRepublic RC-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 12, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820712027249A
- Case key
- 72456
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he took off with 35 gal of fuel aboard. After about 128 nautical miles, the engine lost power. While landing in a muddy corn field with the gear retracted, the aircraft slid a short distance then nosed over. One of the first persons to arrive at the scene stated that he could not recall smelling fuel. The next morning (after the aircraft was inverted all night), he arrived at the scene and noted that the fuel cap was dangling by its chain, but he did not recall the cap dangling on the night before. It was noted that the aircraft had been broken into over night and several articles had been removed. An inspection and operational check of the engine revealed no preimpact failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6444K
- Reported as
- Republic RC-3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 694
- Airframe hours
- 1,063
- Engine
- Franklin B9F, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William R. Aikens
- Registered owner
- William R. Aikens
- Departed
- Harbor Springs, MI
- Destination
- Troy, MI
- Airport
- 3SG · Harry Browne
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 2,018 total · 43 in this make and model · 1,893 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 176 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.